In this paper, we set out to explore the crucial part interdisciplinary collaboration plays in healthcare, highlighting the importance of this collaboration in delivering better patient outcomes and system effectiveness. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, a methodology developed from the scientific method to bring about actionable change within healthcare settings, will serve as our guiding framework as we dive into this examination. We want to discover, analyze, and offer answers to the interdisciplinary problems that healthcare professionals encounter in order to improve patient care and organizational success in the long run.
Interview Summary
I had the pleasure of speaking with a very skilled healthcare worker throughout the interview, who provided insightful information about their workplace. The interviewee, who occupies a crucial position in a healthcare institution, provided insight into a variety of recent and previous challenges that have had a big impact on their place of employment. Our conversation mainly focused on the difficulties associated with interdisciplinary teamwork because this issue has frequently caused worry in their healthcare environment.
The respondent expressed concern regarding the effectiveness of interdisciplinary collaboration inside the organization, noting difficulties including misunderstandings, unclear roles, and a need for clearly defined procedures for teamwork. These difficulties have occasionally made it more difficult for the organization to give patients seamless service and have led to inadequate resource use.
We used a number of tactics to make sure our interview produced thorough information. In order to get the respondent to go into more detail about their experiences and perspectives, open-ended questions were used. The respondent was also urged to relate specific instances and anecdotes that illustrated the difficulties experienced in their particular healthcare environment. With the use of this method, we were able to acquire detailed information that helped us understand the problems with interdisciplinary collaboration in their organization.
Identified Issue
An important problem that calls for an interdisciplinary, evidence-based strategy was revealed during the insightful conversation with the healthcare professional. The current problem is that the organization’s healthcare experts need to improve their communication and teamwork. This issue significantly hampers the provision of high-quality patient care, and interdisciplinary teamwork must be used to overcome it.
Ineffective interdisciplinary teamwork has been a result of misunderstanding, role ambiguity, and a need for clearly defined collaborative methods in this healthcare environment. These inadequacies have led to a number of issues, including poor resource management, delays in patient care, and a general decline in the quality of healthcare service (Rosen et al., 2019). The respondent stressed that these difficulties directly and significantly impact both patients and the healthcare system as a whole.
It is crucial to handle this problem using an evidence-based, multidisciplinary strategy for a number of reasons. First and foremost, safe patient care and successful health outcomes depend on excellent communication and teamwork. An interdisciplinary approach can assist in preventing medical errors, lowering the risk of adverse events, and improving patient care by fostering smooth information interchange and teamwork (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2021). This is especially crucial in the healthcare industry since poor teamwork or broken communication can have fatal results. Furthermore, the abundance of data acquired during the interview justifies the decision to use an evidence-based interdisciplinary strategy to address this issue. The medical practitioner gave concrete instances and examples of how poor communication had resulted in unfavorable results. The healthcare institution can change its collaborative culture by tackling this problem from an interdisciplinary perspective, guided by best practices and evidence-based initiatives. This adjustment might lead to better resource management, more productive teamwork, and ultimately, better patient care and outcomes.
Change Theories and Leadership Strategies
Change Theories
Change theories are useful frameworks for comprehending and directing the organizational change process. Several change theories can be used in the context of solving the stated problem of inadequate communication and collaboration in healthcare. Kurt Lewin’s Change Model, which has three stages—unfreezing, altering, and refreezing—is one such theory. By discussing the repercussions of the problem, unfreezing entails raising awareness of the need for better communication and collaboration (Barrow et al., 2022). The refreezing step maintains the modifications by incorporating them into the company culture, while the evolving stage introduces new multidisciplinary processes and procedures.
The Eight-Step Model by John Kotter is another important change theory. This paradigm offers a methodical strategy for bringing about change. The first actions of instilling a sense of urgency, building a strong coalition, and formulating a clear vision are especially pertinent to the current problem (Kuo & Chen, 2019). The urgency stage can be used to highlight how critical it is to enhance communication and collaboration, while the coalition phase is bringing together influential figures to spearhead the change.
By laying out a clear plan for changing the corporate culture and communication procedures, these change theories could be used to address the problem that has been identified. Lewin’s approach, for instance, might aid in the change’s inception by highlighting the necessity for improved collaboration and communication. The Kotter model provides a detailed road map for carrying out the transformation. Healthcare companies can effectively address the problem of poor teamwork by applying these theories. The source by Barrow et al. is the most credible since. Kurt Lewin’s Change Model is more relevant to the issue at hand of inadequate communication and collaboration in healthcare.
Leadership Strategies
In order to promote interdisciplinary cooperation and promote organizational change, effective leadership is essential. Different leadership philosophies can be applied in healthcare settings where patient safety and high-quality care are priorities. Leadership transformation is one such tactic. This leadership approach places a strong emphasis on encouraging and motivating team members to deliver better results. Clear expectations are set by transformational leaders, who also set an excellent example and promote creativity and problem-solving. By fostering shared values and a common vision of better patient care, transformational leaders can motivate healthcare workers to work cooperatively in the context of tackling the communication and cooperation challenge.
Servant Leadership is another effective leadership technique. Prioritizing their team members’ needs and concentrating on their development and well-being are traits of servant leaders. This strategy can improve collaboration by promoting a culture of sympathy and support for one another (Best, 2020). Teamwork and open communication are more likely to be promoted by leaders who demonstrate servant leadership traits.
These leadership techniques are crucial in healthcare settings because they encourage a team-based and patient-centered approach, which is necessary for obtaining desired results. In order to address the stated problem, transformational leaders inspire a common commitment to organizational goals. Similar to this, servant leaders foster an atmosphere where medical personnel feel empowered and respected, which promotes better resource management, improved teamwork, and ultimately improved patient care.
Collaboration Approaches
Collaboration strategies are crucial for creating and developing interdisciplinary teams within healthcare organizations, which makes them crucial for solving organizational problems successfully. Different solutions are offered by different approaches, as explored in the literature, to encourage fruitful multidisciplinary collaboration.
The evidence-based system TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is one such strategy (Mohsen et al., 2021). Through training in crucial abilities, including communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support, TeamSTEPPS focuses on enhancing teamwork and communication among healthcare professionals. In order to address difficulties raised during the interview, these abilities are essential for assuring clarity, role understanding, and successful communication within interdisciplinary teams. This source seems more accurate for tackling the issue since it clearly outlines ways of fostering communication.
Another useful strategy that encourages early cooperation and understanding amongst students from various healthcare fields is interprofessional education (IPE) (Diggele et al., 2020). They are more prepared to function well in interdisciplinary teams, thanks to IPE. For instance, nursing students who are exposed to the knowledge and viewpoints of physical therapy or pharmacy students during their education learn the significance of teamwork and begin to address difficulties with poor collaboration early on in their careers.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has created partnership strategies that place a strong emphasis on healthcare quality and patient safety. These methods, which follow models like the IHI’s Model for Improvement, empower interdisciplinary teams to collaboratively identify areas for improvement and test changes on a small scale before broader deployment. Healthcare organizations can unite their interdisciplinary teams around common goals and improve the quality of patient treatment by putting a strong emphasis on quality and safety.
Conclusion
In order to effectively address the complicated difficulties that healthcare organizations face, interdisciplinary teamwork is essential. We have discovered a relevant issue through a thorough study and interview process, and we have looked into prospective change theories, leadership tactics, and collaboration techniques from reliable sources in the literature. Healthcare organizations can improve patient care and organizational results by adopting these strategies. Interdisciplinary teamwork’s effective application is essential for fostering change and ensuring the highest standards of healthcare delivery.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2021). Approach to Improving Patient Safety: Communication. Psnet.ahrq.gov. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/approach-improving-patient-safety-communication
Barrow, J. M., Toney-Butler, T. J., & Annamaraju, P. (2022, September 18). Change management. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459380/
Best, C. (2020). Is There a Place for Servant Leadership in Nursing? Practice Nursing, 31(3), 128–132. https://doi.org/10.12968/pnur.2020.31.3.128
Diggele, C., Roberts, C., Burgess, A., & Mellis, C. (2020). Interprofessional education: Tips for design and implementation. BMC Medical Education, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02286-z
Kuo, Y. L., & Chen, I. J. (2019). Facilitating a change model in age-friendly hospital certification: Strategies and effects. PloS one, 14(4), e0213496.
Mohsen, M. M., Gab Allah, A. R., Amer, N. A., Rashed, A. B., & Shokr, E. A. (2021, October). Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety at primary healthcare units: Effect on patients’ outcomes. In Nursing forum (Vol. 56, No. 4, pp. 849–859).sss
Rosen, M. A., DiazGranados, D., Dietz, A. S., Benishek, L. E., Thompson, D., Pronovost, P. J., & Weaver, S. J. (2019). Teamwork in healthcare: Key Discoveries Enabling safer, high-quality care. American Psychologist, 73(4), 433–450. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000298
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